Denise Peda is an emerging Canadian writer and director who recently graduated top of her class from Humber College’s Film and Television Production program. She began her journey as a chemistry student at the University of Toronto before discovering that her passion lay in filmmaking. Through her work she explores themes of grief, social isolation, and complex family dynamics.

Based in Toronto, she has written and directed multiple short films including the music documentary This Beat Goes On which premiered at the 2023 Hamilton Film Festival. Her work has earned acclaim across multiple film festivals including the Markham Film Festival where Out of the Rain, a short thriller she wrote, was awarded Best Short in 2023. With her first student short film Wonder she was awarded the 2022 NBCUniversal NextGen Diversity Scholarship. In 2024 she was selected for the RIFF Talent Lab, a program for emerging directors that runs alongside the Reykjavik Film Festival. Denise brings her passion, creativity, and endless determination to every project she works on, and strives to continue creating emotionally resonant works that engross and entertain the viewers.